Tag Archives: vanilla

Blueberry cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting

10 Nov

Blueberry cupcake  with blueberry cream-cheese frosting

Look at the pretty blueberries in these cupcakes. They really are nature’s work of art. I have found a frozen brand of Australian-grown blueberries that I am happy with and always ensure I have a bag in the freezer. I bake with them, the Hungry Dad makes Bircher muesli with them, Miss-now-8 adds them to Greek yogurt and Miss9 is happy to eat a bowl of them for a snack #winning

At the moment in Sydney fresh blueberries are plentiful so you can take your pick when making them delectable blueberry cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting (or cream cheese icing, for my fellow Aussies).

Fresh or frozen works fine and if you opt for frozen there is no need to defrost first.

These blueberry cupcakes are really moist and the Greek yoghurt adds a lovely tang. Try not to eat all the frosting / icing before you ice the cakes – a real danger #OrIsThatJustMe

Blueberry cupcake  w blueberry cream cheese frosting

GATHER:

120g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup caster sugar

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup Greek yogurt cream

1 cup blueberries (frozen is fine)

Icing:

180g unsalted butter, softened

250g cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted

¼ cup blueberries, extra

Blueberry cupcake  with blueberry  cream cheese frosting

LET’S GET TO IT:

Preheat oven to 190°C and line a cupcake pan with wrappers.

In bowl of electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy and pale – about three minutes.

Scrape down bowl with a spatula then add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.

Beat in half the flour, then half the yogurt, then rest of flour then rest of yogurt. Using a silver spoon gently stir in the blueberries.

Fill the wrappers two-thirds full and bake for 15-ish minutes or until a skewer inserted into a cake has only a few crumbs clinging to it.

Remove to wire rack too cool completely.

Meanwhile, make icing: In bowl of electric mixer beat cream cheese, vanilla and butter together until pale and creamy – about two minutes. With beater on low beat in icing sugar then increase speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined. Use a silver spoon to stir through and break up most of the berries, leaving enough for decoration. Scrape icing into ziplock bag, snip off the corner and pipe icing onto cake, then top each one with a single blueberry.

Blueberry cupcake  with cream cheese frosting

Chai bundt cake from scratch

30 Aug

Chai bundt cake [The Hungry Mum]

On a recent child-free weekend in Sydney the Hungry Dad and I explored the stunningly elegant Stand Arcade. We found the amazing Gewürzhaus, a teeny shop crammed with herbs, spices, salts and teas from all around the world.

After sampling some lovely mulled wine as we perused the boutique we ended up leaving with a heavy bag and lighter wallet. One of our purchases was a chai tea mix and let me tell you: this brew was the real deal. Full of orange peel, cardamom and other chunky bits of deliciousness it soon became a fav in the Hungry House. Continue reading

Donna Hay black forest cake

19 Aug

The Hungry Mum black forest cake

The Hungry Dad is a huge fan of black forest cake and it recently occurred to me that I had yet to make it for him.

We were headed out on a picnic with some friends and I decided to bake this cake. Let me interrupt myself here by saying that picnics for me are heaven, while The Hungry Dad treats them as something along the lines of purgatory. All that eating in the fresh air – pah, says he.

So this cake was a peace offering / bribe to encourage him to enjoy the day. And a good time was had by all. Hooray! Continue reading

Donna Hay brown butter pound cake

19 Jul

brown butter pound cake

Brown butter, I have decided, should be included in the government’s food pyramid. At the pointy end – nestled between legumes and fresh vegetables.

It is utterly delicious and life-changing. Who’d athunk that simply cooking butter until dark golden could create such a luscious taste sensation? Continue reading

Vanilla cake with salted burnt honey sauce

7 Jul

Vanilla cake with salted burnt honey sauce

Get your tasting spoons ready, bakers: the sauce in this cake is something you will be unable to resist.

Donna Hay created the salted burnt honey sauce in a recent edition of her eponymous magazine. Do not underestimate the bewitching properties of this sauce: four ingredients is all it takes to lift a lovely cake into superstar mode. Continue reading

The best brown sugar cookie recipe to bake

21 May

brown sugar cookies 1

So, exciting news sports fans: Miss9’s soccer team will be playing at half-time of tonight’s Matilda’s game! For those that aren’t into soccer, the Matildas are the Australian national soccer team and they are playing Vietnam tonight at a stadium half an hour away. Miss9’s team will take to the field at half-time to play a short game. Yippee!

To keep energy levels up I have made these brown sugar cookies for the team (Miss9’s, not the Matildas!). I have made brown sugar bickies many times but they have never been as good as these. Continue reading

Easy raspberry sorbet and vanilla ice-cream cake (no churn easy ice cream)

2 Feb

raspIceCream

Summer in Sydney is just too hot. Balmy days. Hot nights with no drop in temperature. Cooking is just too hard and dinner is often salad or something equally refreshing.

While I won’t go near the stove for make a meal I will happily prepare something sweet. Continue reading

Donna Hay rum & raisin Christmas cookies

19 Dec

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These are the cookies Santa is waiting for each Christmas Eve as he frantically makes his journey across the planet on his sleigh.

Rich, chunky, chocolatey and with a hint of rum they will give Mr Claus a much needed energy fix to help him keep on keeping on. The oats will help his cholesterol levels after all those other treats he has snacked on during his journey and the rum will soothe his weary bones. Continue reading

The best custard from scratch

14 Dec

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At Christmas you NEED this recipe in your repertoire. At Easter you need it. Heck, I doubt you’ll ever regret learning how to make the easiest, most luscious vanilla-speckled custard from scratch (unless you are a custard fan and this recipe pushes you into full blown addiction).

I have tried many, many custard recipes over the years and I can say, hand on heart, that this is the easiest and best. It is true and real and the sort of finishing touch that desserts such as apple pie, crumble or even just ice-cream benefits from.

As well as tasting incredible it is faff-free and easy as 1 2 3. Continue reading

Chocolate raspberry bread & butter pudding

3 Aug

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Despite being Sydney born and bred I am a winter gal through and through. The cool air, the fabulous clothes and the amazing winter fare is my kind of lifestyle. Forget frolicking at the beach or being burnt to a crisp – give me the great indoors, a fire and some cookbooks and I’m in hog heaven.
Of all the winter foods my favourite to cook and eat must be puddings. Despite not having an overly sweet tooth I am always drawn to puddings: self-saucing, gooey, oozy numbers are what the cold weather is all about. Wand when it comes to a hearty dessert to make you happy to be alive it is hard to go past a bread and butter pud.

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Australian blogger and writer Kate Gibbs’ recipe for choc raspberry bread and butter pudding, from her book After Toast, had my name on it: I had a stale loaf of chunky white bread and due to shopping miscommunication about 8 litres of milk in the fridge.
I made a few tweaks including the amount of eggs and milk and omitting jam that was used on the bread slices.

GATHER:
8 thick slices of good quality white bread
Enough butter to generously butter bread with
150g fresh or frozen raspberries
1/3 cup dark choc bits / buttons/ roughly chopped chocolate
3 eggs
2 cups milk
Good splash best quality vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar plus extra for sprinkling

LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C .
Cut bread into small rectangles or triangles then butter each piece on one side.
Arrange in shallow ovenproof dish and scatter with half the raspberries and all of the chocolate. Cover with remaining bread.
In a large jug whisk eggs until frothy then beat in milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
Pour over bread and scatter over remaining berries.
Stand for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle over the extra sugar, cover with baking paper and bake for 20 minutes. Remove paper and bake for another 15.
Serve warm.

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